The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-08-27
AUNT RACHEL'S RECIPE.
How Mrs. Morrison Was Cured of
the Habit Of Fretting.

Crash ! An ominous sound came
from the kitchen as was sitting for u
quiet talk with my friend, Mrs. Morri-
son. We had just been enjoying a
well-prepared dinner at her table, and
the two. or three gentlemen guests had
gone. e t'#
Something's broken" I said.
1T sounds like it," she replied.
expected her to get up and run
nervously to the kitchen, but she quiet
ly continued the conversation. A mo-
ment after there appeared at the door
a Swedish servant with most woe-be-
gone look on her face, and tear on
either plump cheek. l could not for
bear an explanation of dismay at per-
ceiving that in her hand she held the
fragments of my friends largest meat
dish, belonging to her fine dinner set.
Broken ?'' asked Mrs. Morrison,
looking at it as she might have looked
at the wreck of a kitchen bowl "You
might have selected something else to
break, seems to me. Lena" she added,
with a little shake of the head, but still
with a smile.
ut slipped right out of my hands,"
said the girl, in great distress.
30, don't stop to fret over it, Lena.
You don't break many dishes. No, its
no use to save the pieces. 1t can't be
mended."
We'll, Ruthr' l exclaimed, as Lena
greatly comforted, took her departure,
Pope must surely have known some
ancestress of yours when he wrote:
"And mistress of herself when china falls
"Any one would think to see how coolly
you take the ruin of that handsome dish
that you could have anew set any day,
if you want it."
(Which is very far from being the
case, as you know" said my friend,
soberly. 81 am afraid l can not match
the dish, and if can, l can scarcely
afford the money for it just now"
''But you do not seem to mind the
accident, at ALL" I persisted, quite
unable to understand her equanimity.
30, yes, do-after fashion, she
went on very deliberately. THAT set
was a present from dear old Aunt
Rachel, and am sorry to see any piece
of it broken. But if you are wondering
because ] do not fret over what can't
be helped, l can only assure you,
Eleanor, that can not afford to. 1t is
bad enough to lose the dish without
that"
ANY one will admit that fretting is
of no use, u said. "Butyou are about
the only woman have ever seen who
really lived up to the idea"
Il didn't begin that way" replied
Ruth, settling back into her chair with
thoughtful expression on her pleasant
face. Il was very much given to fret
ting over small annoyances when l was
good deal younger 1t was that same
dear old Aunt Rachel who cured me by
vigorous treatment"
Il should like her recipe, if you can
give it to me-"
80, it is only the same old one you
may hear or read any day of your life:
Don't fret; it is thankless. rebellious
and utterly useless, never does bit of
good and always does HARM with
plenty more such plain truths. think
it must have been the sturdy admins
tration which affected me. When we
were first married, Fred and | began
housekeeping in our pretty little house
with every thing nice about it, and
were as happy as young people usually
are. But my habit of worrying over
trifles began putting little blots here
and there on the smooth surface of our
lives. A broken dish, stained table
cloth, a poorly-ironed article, the flies,
the dust, the SCOT, any petty annoyance,
would bring cloud over me which
shut out the brightness all about me.
! could see that Fred was hurt and
fretted by it.
"Well, real trouble came at last.
Our baby was sick for weeks and weeks,
and we thought he would never get
well. How looked back on the days
which had been so blessed, and Won
dered how had ever been able to find
trouble in trifes! AS l prayed that the
shadow of death might not so early
darken our home, l believed l should
never again allow myself to be moved
by small troubles. | did not have an
opportunity to test my resolution very
soon; for as baby recovered, ! became
i'll. For many a day lay far beyond